Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Newly-Approved Abortion Ban Temporarily Blocked In Montana
AP: Montana Judge Temporarily Blocks Enforcement Of Abortion Ban; Hearing Next Week
A Montana judge has temporarily blocked the state from enforcing a new ban on the type of abortion most commonly used after 15 weeks of gestation until he can hear arguments on the law next week. District Court Judge Mike Menahan issued a temporary restraining order Thursday against a law that bans the use of dilation and evacuation abortions. Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bill into law on Tuesday and it took immediate effect. (Hanson, 5/18)
The Hill: Rhode Island Governor Signs Bill That Would Cover Abortions For State Workers, Medicaid Recipients
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee (D) on Thursday signed into law on Thursday a bill that would let state funds pay for health insurance coverage for state employees and Medicaid recipients that covers abortions. “Here in Rhode Island, we will always protect a woman’s right to choose and ensure equal access to these crucial health care services,” McKee wrote on Twitter, sharing a photo of the signing. “I’m proud to sign the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act into law and include related funding in my budget proposal.” (Mueller, 5/18)
AP: Ohio Board Approves August Ballot Question Meant To Thwart Abortion Rights Push
A ballot question seeking to make it more difficult to amend the Ohio Constitution was cleared for an August ballot on Thursday, and teams of Republican and Democratic lawmakers assigned to write pro and con arguments, respectively, to be presented to voters. (Smyth, 5/18)
On the use of mifepristone —
Axios: House Panel Moves FDA Funding Bill With Abortion And Tobacco Riders
The House Appropriations subcommittee in charge of FDA funding easily approved a fiscal 2024 spending bill Thursday that would reverse the agency's decision to allow mail-order mifepristone. The bill would also prevent HHS from banning menthol in cigarettes and from setting a maximum nicotine level in cigarettes. (Goldman, 5/19)
KFF Health News: Watch: 5th Circuit Judges Question Two-Decade-Old Approval Of Abortion Pill
A three-judge panel comprising Judges James Ho and Cory Wilson, appointed by then-President Donald Trump, and Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod, appointed by then-President George W. Bush, on Wednesday appeared to support claims that the conscience and religious rights of anti-abortion physicians are harmed by the FDA’s nearly 23-year-old approval of mifepristone. (Varney, 5/18)
KFF Health News: KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The Abortion Pill Goes Back To Court
A three-judge appeals court panel heard testimony this week about revoking the FDA’s 22-year-old approval of a key pill used in medication abortion and miscarriage management. The judges all have track records of siding with abortion foes. Meanwhile, as the standoff over raising the federal debt ceiling continues in Washington, a major sticking point is whether to impose work requirements on recipients of Medicaid coverage. Victoria Knight of Axios, Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. (5/18)
More abortion news —
Politico: In New Supreme Court Decision, Abortion Lurks Just Below The Surface
Farm conditions for pigs don’t seem to have anything to do with states’ salvos in the hard-fought battle over abortion. But a new Supreme Court ruling in an animal welfare case could become a tool in states’ burgeoning efforts to restrict or expand abortion access even beyond their own borders. The case over the treatment of animals in factory farms splintered the justices Thursday, resulting in five separate opinions. ... Experts say the core issue in the case — the ability of states to take actions with clear impacts beyond their borders — is also central to the legal imbroglio over abortion. (Gerstein, 5/12)
Politico: Anti-Abortion Leaders Worry They May Have To Oppose Trump If He Doesn’t Back National Ban
Top anti-abortion leaders are continuing to lobby Donald Trump on a 15-week ban they believe should be the standard for the Republican Party. Their efforts come even as Trump has not only refused to embrace a ban but has framed some abortion legislation as electorally toxic. And it is being driven by a desire to avoid the politically uncomfortable spectacle of having to rebuke the man who not only delivered their movement its greatest win, but is likely to be the GOP’s presidential nominee. (McGraw and Allison, 5/18)
NBC News: States With Abortion Bans Could Drive Away Young Doctors, Survey Finds
Medical students say strict abortion laws are driving them away from pursuing careers as doctors in states where the procedure is banned. The finding comes from a survey of third- and fourth-year medical students, conducted from August through October of last year — just after the June 2022 Supreme Court Dobbs decision that overturned Roe V. Wade, which for nearly 50 years granted the right to an abortion across the U.S. (Edwards, 5/18)
The Washington Post: After Being Denied An Abortion, A Florida Mother Watched Her Baby Die
Milo Evan Dorbert, whose mother’s pregnancy tested the interpretation of Florida’s new abortion law, was born with a fatal abnormality. He lived 99 minutes. (Sellers, Simonetti and Penman, 5/19)
